Landing gear for aeroplanes



y 1931- J. SILVERMAN 1,804,817

LANDING GEAR FOR AEROPLANES Filed Feb. 14, 1929 Jnm 12601 2:141 1 7 7655. Jysgp/z jz'luerman Patented May 12, 1931 Parser orricr.

:rosnrn smvn, or cmoaeo, minors LANDING GEAR FOR AEROZPLANES Appllcationflled February 14, 1929.

This invention relates to an improved landing gear for air craft and its object 1s to increase the stability of the support afforded and to better adapt the landing gear to rough or irregular landing surfaces.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is an illustrative and more or less diagrammatic side elevational view of an ti) aeroplane showing an embodiment of the preisent invention in connection therewith; an

Fig. 2 is a front elevational View.

Referring to the drawings, the aeroplane shown is designated in its entirety at 5. This aeroplane 5 is merely illustrative of an airship to which the present invention is applicable. l have made no attempt to show the various parts other than in a very diagrammatic form as comprising fuselage 6,

- landing gear 7, propeller 8, rudder 9, stabilizer 10, wing structure 11 and landing strut l2.

The landing gear 7 which is carried by the under side of the fuselage 6 at the front comprises in the particular embodiment illustrated, a pair of trailing wheels 14 and a pair of leading wheels 15. The trailing wheels 14 are rotatably journaled at 16 at the lower ends of depending wheel supporting posts 17. The posts 17 are preferably disposed obliquely with. their lower wheel carrying ends directed forward slightly and each post is shown as comprising a pair'of telescoping members18 and 19 with a coiled spring interposed between them and cushioning the landing shock. The spring 20 is shown as confined and housed within the tubular wheel carrying post member 19 and the rotatable journaling of the wheels at 16 are shown at the lower ends of the members 19, but this may be varied. At their upper ends the members 18 are hinged or pivoted at 21. The hinges or pivotal connections 21 are preferably formed so that the forward swinging of the wheels 14 is limited to about the illustrated position of said wheels, but to permit rearward or clockwise swinging movement of the posts 17 and wheels 14 a out Serial No. 339,775.

the pivots 26 as illustrated by the arrow 22 in Figure 1.

The wheels 15 are supported forwardly and preferably above the wheels 14 b wheel supporting struts or arms 25 one c which a may be arranged adjacent each side of the bottom of the fuselage 6, as shown. The arms 25 are rotatably journaled at 26 upon the bottom of the fuselage 6 forwardly of the hinge attachment of the posts 17 thereto. 3

The pivotal mounting of the forward wheel carrying arms 25 at 26 may be upon a common cross rod as shown at 27 in Figure 2 but it is to be understood that separate pivotal supports may be provided on the fuselage for the arms 25 or that the pivotal mountings of these arms may be otherwise varied. A pair of downwardly and rearwardly directed arms 28 are pivotally journaled at 26 with the arms 25 and the rear 'wheels 14' are rotatably journaled in these arms 28 adjacent their rotatable journaling in the posts 17. A cross brace 29 is arranged across each pair of arms 25 and 28 and is suitably connected at its opposite ends at 30 and 32 respectively therewith. The forward or leading wheels 15 are rotatably journaled at 34 in the forward ends of the arms 25 and the arms 25 and 28 constitute a bell crank structure which may, of course, be made up of unitary bell crank levers if desired.

In the embodiment shown two leading wheels 15 are illustrated, one ahead of each of the wheels 14 but this may be varied as, for example, by employing a single leading wheel centrally disposed ahead of the wheels 14 or any other desired number of leading wheels may be employed and arranged as desired with respect to the wheels 14. The piv otal or hinge connections 21 are illustrated as being adapted for a simple pivotal or hinged movement of the posts 17 and wheels 14 as described, but it is to be understood that the connections at these points may be swivel or partially swivel connections or otherwise formed to permit somepivotal action of the upper ends of the posts 17 laterally with respect to the fuselage 6.

In operation, as the main wheels 14 strike the ground in the landing ofthe craft, the

spring cushions 26 will absorb any shock and the posts 17 are free to swin rearwardly as indicated by the arrow 22 in igure 1 with a resulting gliding of the craft over the ground. If, upon landing, a rise or inclination in the landing surface is encountered, the forward wheels 15 will come into engagement with the ground and. will with the wheels 14511016. the craft upright and assist in gliding over the irregularity. At the same time, if, upon landing, a depression is encountered the wheels 15 may come into engagement with the ground ahead of the wheels 14 and will carry the craft over the ground and prevent nosing forward. In this manner, forward and aft tilting of the craft particularly on irregular or bumpy landing surfaces is reduced and at the same time, the forward wheels 15 by their cooperation with the ground at laterally or transversely spaced points will reduce lateral tipping and provide greater vstability than provided with the single pair of landing wheels as heretofore employed.

I do not intend to be limited to the precise details shown. or described.

- I claim:

1. In an aerial craft the combination of a fuselage, a pair of arms converging toward said fuselage and having a common pivot attachment at their meeting ends thereto, a main landing Wheel j ournaled at the opposite end of one of said arms and an auxiliary landing wheel journaled at the opposite end of the other arm and disposed forwardly and above said first wheel.

2. In an aerial craft, the combination of a fuselage, a pair of arms converging toward said fuselage and having a common pivot attachment at their meeting ends thereto, a main landin wheel journaled at the opposite end of one of said arms, an auxiliary landing wheel journaled at the opposite end of the other arm and disposed forwardly and above said first wheel and a cushioned post rotatably journalling said first wheel at one end and swingably attached to the fuselage at its opposite end.

3. In an aerial craft, the combination of a fuselage, a pair of arms converging toward said fuselage and havin a common pivot attachment at their meeting ends thereto, a main landing wheel journaled at the opposite end of one of said arms, an auxiliary landing wheel journaled at the opposite end of the other arm and disposed forwardly and above said first wheel and a cushioned post rotatably journalling said first wheel at one end and swingably attached to the fuselage at its opposite end, said post comprising telescoping members and a cushioning spring inter osed between said members.

4. In an aerial craft, the combination of a fuselage, pair of arms converging toward said fuselage and having a common pivot attachment at their meeting ends thereto, a main landing Wheel journaled at the opposite end of one of said arms, an auxiliary landing wheel journaled at the opposite end of the other arm and disposed forwardly and above said first wheel and brace means between said arms.

5. In an aerial craft the combination of a fuselage, a main landing wheel, an auxiliary landing wheel, a common wheel carrying frame supporting both of said wheels, and a single pivot directly on said fuselage for said frame and forming a common pivot for both said wheels.

6. In an aerial craft the combination of a fuselage, a main landing wheel, an auxiliary landing wheel, a common wheel carrying frame supporting both of said wheels, a single pivot directly on said fuselage for said frame and forming a common pivot for both said wheels and cushioning means for one of said Wheels.

7. In an aerial craft the combination of a fuselage, a main landing wheel, an auxiliary landing wheel, a common wheel carrying.

frame supporting both of said wheels, a single pivot directly on said fuselage for said frame and forming a common pivot for both said wheels, and means cushioning one of said Wheels in one direction and operable to limit swinging movement of said frame about said pivot in the other direction.

8. In an aerial craft, the combination of a fuselage, landing means comprising a pair of arms converging toward said fuselage and having a common pivot attachment at their meeting ends thereto, a landing wheel mounted at the opposite end of one of said arms and a buffer wheel mounted at the opposite end of the other arm ahead of and normally elevated above said landing wheel.

9. In an aerial craft,- a landing frame arranged below the body of the craft, said landing frame being pivotally mounted at a point intermediate its ends for vertical angular movement, a landing wheel at the trailing end of said frame, a buffer wheel ahead of the landing wheel at the leading end of said frame and normally in position above said landing wheel and a shock absorbing spring arranged between the landing wheel end of the frame and the body of the craft and acting in expansion to depress the landing wheel end of said landing frame.

10. In an aerial craft, a fuselage, a landing frame arranged below said fuselage, said landing frame being pivotally mounted at a point intermediate its end for vertical angular movement, a landing Wheel at the trailing end of said frame, a buffer wheel ahead of the landing wheel at the leading end of the frame and normally in position above said landing wheel, and shock absorbing means between the fuselage and the land ing frame, said shock absorbing means comprising a post composed of telescoping members one pivoted directly to the fuselage and the other pivoted to the landing wheel end of the landing frame, and a shock absorbing 5 spring interposed between said telescoping members. o i

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 4th day of February, 1929. JOSEPH SILVERMAN. 

